ALBANY – New York State Assembly Education Committee Chair Catherine Nolan and
Speaker Sheldon Silver announced the re-election of Dr. Geraldine Chapey, and the election of
Dr. Lester Young and Dr. Betty Rosa to the 16-member panel of the New York State Board of
Regents.

“The Assembly Majority is committed to ensuring that our children receive the proper education
and skills to become the outstanding achievers of the future,” said Silver.

“The addition of Betty Rosa and Lester Young as well as the return of Geraldine Chapey will bring
knowledge, expertise and talent to the Board of Regents. These distinguished individuals will help
guide our continued effort to ensure a quality education for every child in our state,” said Nolan.

Regent Chapey will continue to represent the eleventh judicial district which includes all of Queens
County. She was first elected to the Board of Regents in 1998 and re-elected in 2003. Her
distinguished career includes serving as a New York City Board of Education administrator, directing
and supervising city-wide programs on both the senior and elementary school levels in regular and
special education. She currently serves as Chair of the Audit Committee for the Board of Regents.

“Regent Chapey has dedicated her life to education through her work as a full academic professor at
a university, a school board member and president, educational researcher and published writer. She
possesses an energy and enthusiasm that few could match and we are thrilled to see her return to
this position to represent Queens,” said Nolan.

Dr. Lester Young is currently an associate professor at Long Island University Graduate School of
Education. Throughout his impressive career he has held positions of teacher, guidance counselor,
Supervisor of Special Education Services, principal and has contributed greatly to the education
community in New York City. Dr. Young will serve as Regent at-large. He is serving the last two of
a five-year term previously held by Adelaide L. Sanford.

Dr. Betty Rosa has a diverse background in education including experience as a superintendent and
a principal. She was named Educator of the Year in 2002 at the Bronx Puerto Rican Parade and

Superintendent of the Year by Mercy College in 1999. Dr. Rosa will serve her first term as a member
of the Regents from the 12th Judicial District, which includes Bronx County.

Board members are elected to five-year terms by a joint session of the state Legislature. There is
one regent for each of the state’s 12 judicial districts and four at-large members.

Meeting Summary
The following bills were reported by
the New York State Assembly Committee on Education, Tuesday, March 18, 2008.

A3524Nolan The purpose of this legislation is to protect
the rights of certain specified school district personnel when a school district takes over a program
formerly operated by a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and vice versa. This
legislation is in response to years of unnecessary litigation and judicial holdings surrounding the
transfer and recall rights of BOCES and school district personnel. These amendments are not
intended to reflect a change in the law, but rather are intended as a clarification that the Legislature
did not intend to exclude other education professionals from the protections of the Education Law.
This bill was reported to the Assembly Floor.

A7765Aubry The purpose of this bill is to provide for the
defense and indemnification of parents serving in certain authorized positions in New York City
community school districts in suits filed by school officials. This bill protects a person who is
elected, selected or appointed by a parent association, parent-teacher association or a school
based management team from civil actions arising from their official responsibilities which are
brought on by a community board member, community superintendent or school principal.
Furthermore, the city school district will provide for the defense of the person, unless a conflict
of interest exists. The bill was reported to the Codes Committee.